Other Names:

Benefits

Antiinflammatory

Antioxidant

Insecticide

Antibacterial

Insect-repellent

Antileishmanial

Anticoccidial

Snake-repellent

Antiparasitic

Wormwood

Artemisia annua

Wormwood (Artemisia annua) is a herb from the Compositae plant family. As far back as the 16th century, Wormwood has been used for many classic remedies, including the ailments it remedies today. The dried leaves of the plant contains artemisinin, which is a bioactive sesquiterpene lactone that has been shown to be effective against several protozoan parasites and serves as a repellent against moths and other insects.

Coccidiosis
1.5% Wormwood leaf powder added to the feed (equivalent to 15 kg of wormwood leaf per ton of feed) in chicks for 35 days, was found to be effective against infection with Eimeria tenella. Treated chickens had 100% survival rates, reduced oocysts output (72% decrease), and improved fecal scores.

Necrotic enteritis
N-hexane extracts derived from Wormwood leaf are thought to modulate the course of necrotic enteritis and compensate to a certain extent for the disease-associated weight losses.

Snake-repellent
Wormwood is said to contain chemicals which act as a natural snake repellent.